Quote of the Day:
President Bush: A soldier can walk the battlefields where he once fought; a Marine can walk the beaches he once stormed; but an airman can never visit the patch of sky he raced across on a mission to defend freedom. And so it's fitting that, from this day forward, the men and women of the Air Force will have this memorial, a place here on the ground that recognizes their achievements and sacrifices in the skies above.
Photo of the Day:
The first 40-foot section of a 270-foot spire was set into place Feb. 10 2006. This was the first of 15 sections that make the three spires of the memorial.
The memorial, which cost more than $30 million, is the work of James Ingo Freed, who designed Washington's U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. The U.S. Air Force Memorial will honor the millions of men and women in the service and its predecessor organizations, memorial spokesman Richard Baker said …The foundation was created in 1992 to promote a memorial for those who served in the Air Force and earlier organizations, including the Army Air Corps and Army Air Force. About 54,000 airmen have been killed in action, the Air Force said.
The memorial's three spires, which rise vertically and gradually curve outwards, are intended to evoke the maneuver performed by the Air Force's Thunderbird flight demonstration team called the ``bomb burst.'' (source: Bloomberg.com )
The Memorial as seen at night.
The three spires also represent the three core values of the Air Force—integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all that is done—and the Air Force’s total force: active, guard and reserve.Embedded in granite beneath the three central spires is the Air Force "star," which has long been emblazoned on Air Force aircraft and serves as the rank insignia of every enlisted member of the Air Force. Other key elements of the Memorial include a Runway to Glory at the site entrance, a bronze Honor Guard statue developed by the renowned sculptor, Zenos Frudakis, two granite inscription walls located at either end of the central lawn and a Glass Contemplation Wall that honors fallen airmen. The Memorial’s surrounding spaces will be landscaped to create a memorial park and parade ground … (source: AirForceMemorial.org
Granite Inscription Wall
Frudakis inspects his work at the Memorial.
President Bush finds his place on the stage. 
Ross Perot Jr. joins President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld.
Secretary Rumsfeld speaks at the dedication ceremony, the Washington Monument in the background.
President Bush and Chairman of the Air Force Memorial Foundation Ross Perot Jr. (2nd L) shake hands during the dedication ceremony for the new United States Air Force Memorial near the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, October 14, 2006.
President Bush: I have spent a lot of time with the aviators, and one thing about them that has always struck me, aviators, by their nature, are optimistic people. It takes an optimist to climb into a steel tube, race through the sky at 1,500 miles an hour heading toward danger, and expect to return home safely. Yet this is precisely what the men and women of the Air Force do for our country every day.America is grateful for your service, and I'm proud to be the Commander-in-Chief of such fine men and women. (Applause.)
The Air Force Thunderbirds performing at the dedication of the United State Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia on October 14, 2006.
THE PRESIDENT: Today the United Nations Security Council passed a unanimous resolution, sending a clear message to the leader of North Korea regarding his weapons programs. This action by the United Nations, which was swift and tough, says that we are united in our determination to see to it that the Korea Peninsula is nuclear weapons free.
I have said all along there is a better way forward for North Korea. There's a better way forward for the people of North Korea. If the leader of North Korea were to verifiably end his weapons programs, the United States and other nations would be willing to help the nation recover economically.
The message today, however, says to the leader of North Korea that the world is united in our opposition to his nuclear weapons plans.Thank you.
Love the quote of the day and thanks for the dose
Hi Jonny, thanks for the Saturday Dose. Nice topic, eh? (the USAF memorial)
GO AIR FORCE! AIM HIGH PING!
Beautiful...I'll have to go visit some day.
Jonny, thank you for your work! There are some lovely photos today. I really love the quote of the day, too. Thanks again.
That Air Force ceremony was awesome today.
(I have a gentleman in my choir who is 82 and an AF WWII vet who was there today!! I can't wait to find out from him what it was like to be there).